Product Care
Harry Winston jewels and timepieces are world renowned for their incredible quality in craftsmanship and design. In order to preserve and maintain the original integrity of your pieces, we recommend implementing some proper care and maintenance precautions to ensure they retain their beauty.
Jewelry Care
In order to retain its original beauty, we recommend you handle your jewelry with the utmost care and attention.
Jewelry handling
During your daily activities, there are certain precautions you can take to preserve your jewelry, including removing your jewels, in the following instances, to avoid possible damage to gemstones and metal:
- Strenuous activities, which can lead to unwanted impact and irreversible damage.
- Washing hands and contact with household chemicals, which can ultimately lead to corrosion, discoloration, and allergic skin reactions. Abrupt temperature changes can additionally cause some gemstones to fracture.
- Swimming in saltwater or chlorine can potentially harm your jewelry. Additionally, cold water can cause fingers to shrink, creating room for a ring to slip off.
- Applying lotion, perfume, hair spray or other cosmetics, which can get trapped in the crevices of your jewelry, causing residue build up or creating a film, thus dulling its luster.
- Sunbathing and extended exposure to direct sunlight can be damaging to certain gemstones, such as emeralds and turquoise.
- Gardening or playing in the sand exposes jewelry to abrasive contact on metal and gemstones, including diamonds.
- While sleeping, uncontrolled movements can result in potential impact. Additionally, blood circulation can be affected causing swelling and potential bodily harm.
Damage protection
Every piece of jewelry is exposed to unavoidable wear and tear. Extended wear, however, can be prevented or limited, to minimize unnecessary damages.
There are multiple sources for potential damage to consider:
- Physical: Impact can lead to gemstone fractures or irreversible metal damage.
- Chemical: Contact can cause gemstone and metal corrosion.
- Water: Extended exposure can lead to metal tarnish and gemstone deterioration.
- Beauty Products: Residue can diminish luster and trigger allergic reactions.
- Sun and Heat: Extended exposure can cause fractures and discoloration of certain gemstones.
- Deterioration: Extended daily wear without sufficient professional care can compromise metal and gemstones.
- DIY Techniques: Usage of inappropriate home cleaning methods and inadequate repair skills can cause irreversible harm.
- Storage: Metal to metal, stone to metal, and stone to stone contact can cause fractures in gemstones and compromise metal permanently.
Precautionary measures
- Inspect your jewelry for vulnerabilities. Check if the mechanical parts of your jewel, such as the clasp on necklaces and bracelets, and ear posts and clips on earrings are fully functional. A malfunctioning mechanical part can result in loss or avoidable damages. In addition, ensure that all gemstones are secure in their settings and that the connections are not compromised.
- When not being worn, store your jewelry items in a soft pouch separate from each other, in their original box provided at point of sale, or in a fabric lined case with compartments and dividers to prevent damages from metal to stone contact.
Maintenance
Proactive maintenance plays an integral part in preserving your jewelry and extending its life. With that in mind, the following best practices are recommended:
- Regular Home Cleaning: Regular home cleaning is an easy and effective way to avoid residue build up that will eventually dull down jewelry’s original sparkle and shine. However, not all jewelry items are suitable for home cleaning. Technically intricate items and vintage pieces, as well as jewelry containing softer and more delicate stones, such as, but not exclusive to, emeralds, turquoise, coral, pearls or any other gemstone beads on a silk string, should only be professionally cleaned.
- Professional Cleaning: Frequent professional servicing by one of our Harry Winston salons is recommended at least once per year, or as needed:
- Salon Service: Steam cleaning only. This service is only available if the condition of the jewelry allows for it and does not address possible underlying concerns.
- Take-In Service: Comprehensive expert assessment of the jewelry’s current condition followed by a recommendation for re-polishing, re-finishing or re-furbishing.
Watch Care
Your Harry Winston watch requires special attention, to ensure its performance and longevity.
Here are some tips to consider.
Care section
Battery
If your quartz watch stops, replace the batteries as soon as possible. A defective battery can cause damage to the movement if it is not quickly replaced.
It is recommended to change the battery of your watch approximately every two years to avoid oxidation.
The batteries must be replaced by an authorized service center, in order to preserve the guarantee of the watch and to ensure that it goes through the water resistance tests.
Cleaning
Your Harry Winston watch can be cleaned with a microfiber cloth or a cotton swab and lukewarm soapy water. Rinse it and dry it with a non-abrasive cloth.
Do not get the leather or satin strap wet, as this may damage it.
Make sure the crown is always pushed and/or screwed in and do not use the pushers when cleaning your watch to prevent water from entering the mechanism.
Beauty products and chemicals
Avoid exposing your watch to beauty products, creams and perfumes, as this can damage the seals and corrode the materials.
Also avoid contact with solvents, detergents or any product for the same reasons.
Diamonds
Avoid contact with chemicals, perfumes, and detergents as these products can tarnish the stones. If your watch has been exposed to any of these products, rinse it under lukewarm water and rub lightly with a cotton swab or microfiber cloth. Then dry it with a non-abrasive cloth. Check your diamonds regularly to make sure they are still securely set. A shock, or as described above abrasive products, can damage the stones or the metal that holds them.
Extreme temperatures
Avoid exposing your watch to extreme temperatures (less than 0 ° C or 32F and more than 60 ° C and 140F) such as a hairdryer or a radiator, as this can damage the seals and the battery and damage the oils. High temperatures can damage colors and shorten the life of a leather or satin strap. When it is very cold, we recommend that you keep the watch on your wrist to limit the effect of negative temperatures and keep the watch at the same heat as your body.
Impacts and shocks
A shock or impact can cause visible damage to the case of your watch, but can also cause more or less visible damage to the movement. Some parts may break, and the gaskets may be impaired.
We recommend that you always have your Harry Winston watch checked at an authorized center if it should receive a serious shock. Avoid wearing your watch and jewelry on the same wrist. This could scratch the metals and damage the stones.
Strap
The wear and tear of a bracelet depends on the climate, the acidity of perspiration, its exposure to the sun, and certain products as well as the frequency with which the watch is worn. Leather and satin are materials that can be stained.
Avoid water, chemicals, soap, perfumes and greasy products.
Also avoid prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light to keep your bracelet beautiful as long as possible.
We recommend that you do not bathe or take showers with your watch to preserve the longevity of the leather strap.
Magnetism
Avoid placing your watch near a source of magnetism, such as magnets, a television, refrigerator, speakers, or cell phones. This can magnetize it and cause precision problems, or even make it stop.
Storage
Avoid placing your watch upside down to not scratch the anti-reflective glass of the sapphire crystal.
Avoid storing your watch too close to other watches or jewelry, it could knock together and scratch metals.
We recommend storing your watch in the box that comes with it. When traveling, we recommend that you use a dedicated travel case to protect your watch from possible shocks.
User guide
Read the user manual carefully and follow the instructions for setting up your watch.
Water
Hot water: your watch should not be taken to a sauna, hammam, or jacuzzi as hot water can damage the seals.
Salt water, chlorine: After swimming in salt water or in a chlorinated pool, rinse your Harry Winston watch under lukewarm water
Avoid wearing your watch under water if your strap material is satin or alligator, as this will damage it. In this case, we recommend a metal or rubber strap.
Technical section
Water resistance
Water-resistance can be affected by the age of gaskets. We recommend that your Harry Winston watch be tested for water resistance every two years by a Harry Winston service center.
To prevent water from entering the mechanism, be sure to always push / screw the crown in after adjusting your watch and never use the pushers, correctors or crown underwater.
Winding
Regular winding will prevent the mechanism oils from drying out. We recommend winding your automatic Harry Winston watch about once a month if not worn, so that the oils remain lubricating.
Service section
Guarantee after service
We offer a twenty-four month warranty on the work carried out by an official Harry Winston service center. This warranty does not cover normal wear and tear or damage caused by accidents or negligence.
Maintenance and service
Like your car, your Harry Winston watch needs regular services to function properly and to keep its accuracy. The oils dry and freeze over time. Some components of the movement can wear out.
We recommend servicing your watch approximately every 4 to 5 years by an official Harry Winston service center.
For additional information, see the FAQ or contact our customer service clientcare.timepiece@harrywinston.com.
